What a game. What a run.
Team USA topped Spain 107-100 on Sunday in a final that many will remember for the incessant whistles, but should be remembered for the world's best playing at the very top of their games.
As the Olympic men's basketball tournament wraps up, here's a look at five takeaways from London.
1. LeBron James made it all possible
After years of coming up short, all this guy does now is win, win, win. We saw James' evolution into a do-everything big man during the NBA playoffs when Chris Bosh got hurt, and he has continued his dominance and winning ways in London. Since the Heat's loss to Boston in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, James' teams have gone 14-1, and he's led those teams every step of the way with unparalleled versatility. On Sunday, his furious fourth-quarter run after sitting with foul trouble sealed the gold for the U.S.
Although the stats don't jump out at you, what unlocked Team USA's potential was James' unique ability to play every position on the floor. Without Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin or Bosh on the squad, the Americans needed James' commitment to be a point-forward (and point-center at times) and feed the perimeter once the defense collapsed on him.
And he reciprocated. For the tournament, James led Team USA in assists, rebounded more than anyone not named Kevin Love and shot better than 60 percent from the floor -- while dabbling at center.
2. We may never see a scoring run like Anthony's again
Carmelo Anthony may have cooled off a bit Sunday, but heading into the gold-medal game, he had recorded more points than minutes played (122 points and 121 minuets). For the eight-game run, Anthony averaged a mind-boggling 36.5 points per 40 minutes. That's about 10 points higher than his pace during the 2011-12 NBA season, when he averaged 26.6 points every 40 minutes. He shot a flat 50 percent from downtown and 57.5 percent on 2s. Absurd.
What does it mean for the 2012-13 New York Knicks? Hard to say, but the Anthony we saw in the Olympic games might not look anything like the one that will play in Madison Square Garden come late fall. Anthony was a catch-and-shoot assassin in London, but that was largely a product of defenders collapsing on the likes of Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and James, which freed Anthony for the quick release on the perimeter.
Will he get those same looks in New York? It's not likely with Amare Stoudemire's slowly eroding skills and Raymond Felton's slowly swelling frame. Ultimately, Anthony won't be as open for New York as he was for Team USA, which will drag his shooting percentage down closer to more earthly levels. When he's not given space to shoot, it's a good bet you'll see him go back to his patented drawn-out isolations from the wing. As such, it's hard to imagine Anthony's Olympic stint rubbing off on his upcoming NBA season. It sure didn't in 2008-09, when his numbers plummeted after winning gold in Beijing.
3. What more does Love need to do?
If you want to know how much respect Love has earned in London, consider this: Coach Mike Krzyzewski played reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year and 7-footer Tyson Chandler just nine minutes against the Gasol giants in a gold-medal game. Love doubled Chandler's playing time.
Sure, some of that had to do with Marc Gasol's foul trouble, but in this day and age, Love's unrivaled rebounding chops and offensive versatility makes him one of the most valuable big men, not just on Team USA, but on the planet.
Love tallied nine points and nine rebounds in just 19 minutes on Sunday. Because limited playing time depresses per-game numbers, it's hard to grasp how well Love has played on Team USA by looking on the surface. Well, here's his numbers when you translate it to a 40-minute basis: 27.2 points and 17.8 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from beyond the arc. Where else can you get that kind of production? He may not be a defensive savant, but if you can't appreciate Love's talent, you're probably not a fan of basketball.
4. Pau Gasol still has it
Let Sunday's game be a lesson to all: Gasol isn't done being an elite big man. He picked the American front line apart, and that includes Chandler, Mr. Defensive Player of the Year. Hook shots, pump-fakes, jump shots -- Gasol did it all on Sunday. In the end, he scored 24 points, grabbed eight boards and dished out five assists.
After watching Bryant and Andrew Bynum squeeze Gasol out of the offense at times last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, it's refreshing to see Gasol's skill set take center stage in London. Although there are more cooks in the kitchen next season with Howard and Steve Nash entering Lakerland, it's hard to imagine Nash won't find ways to get Gasol the touches he deserves.
At 32 years old, we can expect Gasol's game to slightly decay as he ages, but he will always be a 7-footer with an almost endless catalog of post moves and actions. With near 3-point range, Gasol's crafty game can decongest the paint like Draino if the Lakers need it. Or they can lean on him like Spain did on Sunday.
5. Durant takes the torch from Bryant
If there was any doubt heading into the Olympic games, Durant has taken the baton from Bryant as the NBA's most prolific scorer. Should Bryant take a bow from Olympic play as he vowed after Sunday's game, there's no question who will be Team USA's go-to scorer for the foreseeable future.
Think about this for a second: Durant is 23 years old and just scored more points in one Olympics than any player in history (156). He made a mockery of the shortened international dimensions, drilling 3-pointer after 3-pointer during the tournament. All in all, Durant shot 52.3 percent from downtown and averaged 30 points per 40 minutes in these Olympics. He made more 3-pointers than Anthony and Love combined.
Again, he's 23 years old. As hard as it is to believe, he's only getting started. If Durant continues to raise his passing game like he did this past season en route to the NBA Finals, James will have some company in the "greatest player alive" competition sooner than we think. At his young age, Durant has somehow already earned the "greatest pure scorer alive" label. Not bad.